The Departure of Krishna
The sun was setting over the horizon. The sky was a confluence of hues - orange, red, and pink - merging into the darkening twilight. The city of Dwaraka, the majestic capital of the Yadava clan, famed for its opulence and prosperity, was engulfed in an uncanny calmness. The day forestalled a pivotal episode in the temporal realm; a moment of profound transformation - the departure of Lord Krishna from the mortal world.
Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, had risen amongst mortals to fight the forces of evil and restore balance and dharma in the world. His divine manifestations and teachings had been venerated, especially his guidance to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra War, encapsulated in the Bhagavad Gita.
Krishna's time on earth had to cease. Krishna's departure was triggered by the disorder amongst the Yadava clan. Over years, the clan had shifted from righteousness to arrogance and internal discord. The eventual downfall began with a curse by the venerable sages Vishwamitra, Durvasa, Vashishta, Narada, and others. The Yadavas, in their inebriated state, mocked the sages and invited an irreversible curse that led to their self-destruction.
Knowing the imminent end, Krishna, with his brother Balarama, retreated to the forest. Balarama was first to depart from the world, transforming into a white serpent and merging with the ocean. Krishna sat meditatively beneath a tree, waiting for the ordained moment.
A hunter, Jara, mistook Krishna's partly visible foot for a deer, shot an arrow piercing Krishna's foot. On realising his grave mistake, the hunter was filled with remorse. Krishna calmed him, explaining it was all predestined - a repayment from his previous life, where Krishna as Lord Ram had shot Jara, then the bird Vali, from behind. Enlightened, Jara asked for repentance and Krishna blessed him.
In this moment, Krishna's divine form manifested before departing the mortal world. He merged into the cosmic form, his descent on earth had concluded, but his celestial play or 'Leela' in human form left an enduring legacy.
In Hastinapur, the Pandavas, who always reveled in Krishna's guidance, felt a sudden unease. On not hearing from Krishna for a long period, they sent Arjuna to Dwaraka. Arjuna was shattered to witness the downfall and his beloved friend's disappearance. He returned to Hastinapur bearing the heartbreaking news. The Pandavas, consumed with grief, decided to retire from their earthly responsibilities, and embarked on a journey to the Himalayas, serving as the end of an epoch.
Krishna's departure marked the beginning of Kaliyuga, the age of darkness and ignorance. Nevertheless, Krishna's teachings in the Bhagavad Gita echo across ages, a beacon of wisdom and righteousness for mankind to overcome anxiety, fear, and despair.
Krishna's enchanting Leela in the mortal world, his divine words as a guide for righteous living, his departure, and its impact on the Yadava clan and Pandavas, are profoundly woven into the fabric of Hindu mythology and remain an integral part of cultural folklore. They continue to be told and retold, holding valuable life learnings, resonating even today in the pursuit of truth, righteousness, and the ultimate purpose of life.